Abstract

Ultrasound is a valuable tool for the detection of damage in structures and the characterization of material properties. Its detection is conventionally done by piezoelectric transducers, however fiber-optic sensors can operate over a greater range of frequencies and also yield information on the direction of wave propagation. The interaction between fiber sensors and ultrasound both demonstrates the integrating features of intrinsic fiber-optic sensors and presents new opportunities in ultrasonic detection, offering enormous diversity in polar and frequency response. This paper summarizes the interaction mechanisms between ultrasound and fiber sensors and confirms their functional flexibility. We use these results to demonstrate the practical use of these sensors to detect and locate damage in a sample.

Item type:

Article

ID code:

7113

Notes:

Also presented at European Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors, July 2007